A corpora



E. B. AYRES.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27| 1920.

Patented Apr. 26, M321.1

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.l

E. B. AYRES.

DRIER.

APPLlcAnoN man MAY2,1s2o.

1,376,244. Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

[0d] M Y Wm UNITED sTAT E*s Pa'rEN'rA OFFICE.

ELWOOD B. AYRES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PROCTOR &

SCHWARTZ, INCORPORATED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA; A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

To all LU/mm t mag/concern.' l

Be it knownthat I, ELwooD B.4 Aranda citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in driers of the type in which air is' circulated through the drying chamberand through the heating chamber by means of a fan.

One object of the invention is to provide a compact drier of this type, in which there are two drying compartments and a heating chamber common to both compartments. A further object of the invention is to locate a single fan so that the circulation will be through both compartments;

In the accompanying drawings:

F igurc 1 is a side view of my improved drier;

Fig. 2 is an end view, showing the doors open;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing the doors open; and

Fig. 4 lis a plan view, illustrating amodifica-tion of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a casing. 2 is a heating chamber extending the full height of the drier and having a series of heating coils 3 therein. In front of this heating chamber is a drying chamber consisting of two compartments 4, 4a. 5 is a partition extending part-way between the two compartments 4, 4, and into the heating chamber to a certain extent. 6 is a fan located at the rear end of the drying chamber 4 and mounted on a horizontal shaft 7 adapted to suitable bearings and provided with a driving pulley 8, in the present instance. The front end of the drying chamber is supported on legs 9 suitably braced. The two compartments are provided with hinged doors 10 which are located at the front end of the machine so that when open, access can be had to the full width of the drier. Within the drying chamber are vertical bars 11 to which are attached the tray supports 12, made of angle iron in the present instance and spaced a sufficient distance apart so that a series of trays can be located in the two compartments, after which the doors are closed and power is applied to the shaft 7. rI`he air is circulated through the heating chamber, through the chamber: i

DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. g Patented APL 26, 192L l Application filed' May 27, 1920. Serial No. 384,573. l

drying compartment 4, returning through the drying compartment 45L to the heating 13 is 'an exhaust pipe extending into the heating chamber near the drying compartment 4a andis beveled at the forward end, as shown in Fig. 1, so that acertain amount of air is exhausted. As the air circulates through the'heating and .drying chambers. fresh air is takeninto the heating chamber through the pipe 14.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, there is no positive partition separating the heating chamber from the drying chamber. The heating coils are at the rear end of the dryingchamber, preferably extending the full width of the apparatus.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I have illustrated the fan at one side of the apparatus so that the entire current of air passes into one drying compartment and returns through the other dryin compartment.

In Fig. 4, I ave illustrated a modification, in which the fan -6a is centrally located directly back of both drying compartments and inclosed within a casing 15, so that when the fan is in motion the circulation, as indicated in Fig. 4, is in both chambers. The casing 15 is flared at 16 and terminates about the middle of each chamber. In this instance, the air intake 14a is at the rear of the casing and at one side 0f the fan, while the exhaust opening 13a at the top is located at the forward end and centrally between the two drying compartments. In this instance, the doors 10a are at the side of the machine, and doors 17 are also provided at the side so that access may be had to the heating section of the apparatus.

An apparatus of the type described above is intended'as a general drier for drying articles, such as vegetables and fruits on trays. It is especially adapted where an, economical small capacity drier is required.

1. The combination in a drier, of a drying chamber having two compartments located side by side; a heating chamber at the back of the two drying compartments and communicating therewith; means for heating the air in the heating chamber; and a single circulating fan arranged to circulate air 2. The combination in a drier, of a casing;

a drying chamber having two compartments within the casing located side by side; a fan located in one dryin compartment so that the air will be circu ated by said fan through said compartment, returnin through the adjoining compartment and through the heating chamber.

3. 'he combination in a drier, of a casing; a drying chamber having two compartments located side by side; a partition partly dividin the two compartments; a heating chamer located at the back of the d 'ng chamber and eXtendin the full widt of the drying chamber; eating coils in the heating chamber; a circulating fan located at the rear end of one of the dryin compartments, a horizontal shaft on which the fan is mounted; and tray supports in each drying compartment, said drying compartment being provided with doors.

4. The combination in a drier, of a casing;

a drying chamber having two compartments located side by side; a heating chamber at the rear of the casing and extending back of both compartments; a circulating fan for circulating air through the drying compartment and the heating chamber; an air intake at the back of the heating chamber; and an air exhaust extending through the roof of the drier and in front of the heating com; partment on the return side of the drier.

5. The combination in a drier, of two drying compartments located side by side; a heating chamber back of the drying compartments and extending below the said compartments, said heating chamber communie eating with both drying compartments; and means for supporting the forward end of the drier, a fan located at a point so as to circulate air through the heating chamber and both drying compartments.

ELWOOD B. AYRES. 

